Mining Scam: BJP Threatens To Move Court Against BJD

Bhubaneswar: The state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) today said that the saffron party would move the court for cent percent realization of penalty from miners involved in the scam and the party suspected that there was an unholy understanding between the Naveen Pattanaik-led Biju Janta Dal(BJD) government and mining companies to scuttle the Supreme Court(SC) order in this regard.

Announcing the party’s decision at a press meet here, General Secretary of BJP Bhrugu Baxipatra said even though the SC had found the mining companies in the state to be involved in illegal extraction of huge quantities of iron and manganese ore and called for the recovery of 100 per cent penalty, BJD is trying to bypass the order.

“The SC order clearly asked for 100% per cent recovery from the mining companies for excesses in mineral extraction, the state government had to recover Rs 59,000 crore but its decision on August 8 to issue notices in 10 days to the firms to collect a penalty of merely Rs 17000 crore has exposed the unholy nexus between the BJD government, bureaucrats and mining companies,” charged Bhrugu.

However, ridiculing the charges of the BJP State Mines Minister Prafulla Mallik in his rebuff said, “An assessment of the violation by the mining companies by extracting ore above the permissible limit will be completed soon. We will assess the Forest Act violation by the companies. Around Rs 2000 crore is expected to be recovered from the companies.”

The state government had in 2012 sent demand note to more than 100 companies asking them to pay about Rs 59,000 crore for excess mining between 2000 and 2010.

The Chief Secretary Aditya Padhi had earlier said that the Centrally Empowered Committee (CEC) of SC assessed Rs 17,576.16 crore of excess mining by the companies during the period. Aditya also emphasised that the SC has also agreed with the CEC’s assessment report.

As per SC order the penalty must be realized from the mining companies within December 31.